Four years into crisis, Lebanon's leaders hope tourism boom will help bypass reforms in IMF bailout

Lebanon's political elites are trying to avoid implementing tough IMF reforms and instead are pursuing a "shadow plan" that shifts the burden of bailing out the financial system onto ordinary Lebanese citizens already impacted by the economic crisis, say experts and former officials. The reforms not only pose a financial burden on the elites but also threaten the corrupt networks that have allowed them to exploit the system for years.